Pick or plectrum.



No. 633,877. Patented Sept. 26, I899.

F. MENZENHAUER.

PICK 0R PLECTRUM.

(Application filed III-y 20, 1899.)

{No Model.)

WITNESSES: //v VENTOH MW 1 flaw;

A TTOHNE Y3 UNITED STATES FREDERICK MENZENHAUER, OF JERSEY CITY, NIHV JERSEY.

PlCK Old PLECTRUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,877, dated September 26, 1899.

Application filed May 20,1899. Serial No. 717,609. No motlelJ T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK iilnnzniv- HAUER, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Pick or Plectrum, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to stringed musical instruments-such as citherns, mandolins, guitars, and the like; and the object of the invention is to provide a new and improved pick or plectrum more especially designed for use in mechanically or otherwise actuated stringed musical instruments-such, for instance, as shown and described in the applications for Letters Patents of the United States, Serial No. 702,019, for a mandolincithern, filed by me on January 13, 1899, and Serial No. 717,608, for a stringed musical instrument, filed by me of even date herewith-- the pick being very simple and durable in construction and arranged to combine the desired flexibility with the necessary strength to insure a proper picking of the string without danger of breaking the pick.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then point-- ed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a like view of a modified form of the improvement.

The improved pick or plectrum shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is provided with a body A, preferably made cylindrical in shape and formed with a'een tral recess A, into which is inserted and fitted one end of a coiled spring 15, extending with its other end a suitable distance beyond the body A to carry in its outer end a point C, projecting beyond the end of the spring, asis plainlyindicated in the drawings, said projecting end being the part adapted to engage and pick the string when the plectrum is actuated for the purposethat is, is moved across the string to be sounded. The inner end of the point C terminates a suitable dis tance from the adjacent end of the body A, so that the portion of the spring between said inner end of the point and the bodyis free to tie in any direction.

In order to hold the coiled spring 13 in posit-ion in the body A, I prefer to employ apin D, passed transversely in the body and extending between adjacent coils of the inner end of said spring to hold the same against displacement in the body A and to allow it to readily tlex when the pick is used. The outer end of the pin D projects a short distance beyond the side of the body A to form a guidelug for guiding the bodyin its vertical movement when used on a musical instrument, as shown and described in the applications above referred to. The coils of the outer end of the spring are sufficiently tight around the peripheral surface of the point C to securely hold the latter in position in the spring without other fastening devices.

In manufacturing the pick the point 0 is either made tapering to be driven into the end of the coil-spring or made somewhat larger in diameter than the inner diameter of the spring, so that when the point is forced into the end of the spring the coils open sufficiently to receive the point and by their resiliency securely grip the peripheral surface of the point to hold it firmly in position in the spring.

On the under side of the body A, atone side of the spring, is arranged an adjustingscrew E, adapted to be screwed in or out of the body to regulate the distance the pick is to be pressed when used in an instrument of the kind referred to in the applications above mentioned.

As the coiled springB is made of first quality of spring-wire, it is evident that a pick constructed in the manner set forth will last a very long time, is not liable to break, and retains a uniform ilexure, so that the pick is especially serviceable for use in musical in struments of the class described.

The pick shown in Fig. 3 is more especially designed for use in mechanically actuated musical instruments such as described in the application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial No. 702,019 above mentioned, and this pick is provided with a body A ,sin1iwhen the pick is used in such mechanical inlar to the body A and containing a coiled! spring B, in the outer end of which is helda point C, and in the inner end thereof is fitted arod F, which terminates at its outer end a distance from the inner end of the point C and projects slightly beyond the end of the body, so that that portion between the adjacent ends of the point C and the rod F is free to flex in any direction; but as the rod extends beyond the body A and in close proximity to the point C it is evident that the spring is stiffened by the rod and its fleXure is somewhat less than that of the spring 13, above describedthat is, the spring is rendered stilrer and its elasticity so reduced that strument as mentioned it is not liable to strike an adjacent or wrong string after sounding its own string. The spring I)" is secured in place by a pin D, held in the body A and passing between two adjacent coils of the spring to also engage the rod F and hold it and the spring against movement in the body. The latter is also provided with an adj ustingserew E, similar to the screw E above mentioned.

Having thus fully described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. A pick,comprisingabody,acoiled spring held therein and extending beyond the same, and a point in the outer end of the spring, substantially as shown and described.

2. A pick,comprisinga body, a coiled spring held therein and extending beyond the same, and a point in the outer end of the spring, the shank of the point terminating at its inner end a distance from the body, to permit a free flexing of the spring between the said inner end of the point and the said body, substantially as shown and described.

3. A pick, comprising a body having a reccss'in one end, a coiled spring set with one end into said recess and projecting beyond the said end of the pick, and a point set in the outer end of the spring and secured therein by the coils of the spring, said point projecting beyond the spring and terminating at its inner end a distance from the body, to allow a free flexing of the spring between the point and the body, substantially as shown and described.

i. A pick, comprising a body having a recess in one end, a coiled spring set with one end into said recess and projecting beyond the said end of the pick, a point set in the outer end of the spring and secured therein by the coils of the spring, said point projecting beyond the spring and terminating at its inner end a distance from the body, to allow a free flexing of the spring between the point and the body, and a fastening device for securing the spring in place, substantially as shown and described.

A pick, comprising a body having a recess in one end, a coiled spring set with one end into said recess and projecting beyond the said end of the pick, a point set in the outer end of the spring and secured therein by the coils of the spring, said point projecting beyond the spring and terminating at its inner end a distance from the body, to allow a free flexing of the spring between the point and the body, and a fastening device for securing the spring in place, and formed by a pin passing transversely in the body and between adjacent coils of the spring, substantially as shown and described.

0. A pick, comprising a body having a recess, a coiled spring held therein and projecting beyond the body, a point in the outer end of the spring, and a stiffening-rod in the inner end of the spring, substai'itially as shown and described.

7. A pick, comprising a body having a recess, a coiled spring held therein and projecting beyond the body, a point in the outer end of the spring, and a stiffening-rod in the inner end of the spring, the adjacent ends of the point and rod being spaced apart, substantially as shown and described.

8. A pick, comprising a body having a recess, a coiled spring held therein and projecting beyond the body, a point in the outer end of the spring, and a stiffening-rod in the inner end of the spring, the adjacent ends of the point and rod being spaced apart, and the outer end of the rod projecting beyond the end of the body, substantially as shown and described.

FREDERICK MENZENHAUER.

\Vitnesses:

THEo. G. HOS'LER, EVERARD BoL'roN Mnitsnit'nn. 

